Marriage War Between Catholics and French President Escalates

BY Neal Broverman

January 07 2013 10:34 PM ET

French president Francois Hollande

Some French Catholics are seething after their nation's president, Francois Hollande, publicly supported a government official who told Catholic school officials to stay out of the marriage equality debate.

Hollande stood by the nation's education minister, who urged officials at Catholic schools, which are subsidized by the government, to remain neutral on the possible legalizatiion of same-sex marriage. Education minister Vincent Peillon said Catholic school officials should report those who air negative opinions about gay marriage to their pupils, linking such talk to LGBT youth suicide.

Hollande stood by Peillon because of "laicite," France's well-respected separation of church and state. Regardless, Catholics are planning an enormous rally against marriage equality on Sunday, where 100,000 are expected to swamp Paris.